THE WORD OF GOD

THE WORD OF GOD From The Scriptures The Quran is the book of God. It has been preserved in its entirety since its revelation to the Prophet of Islam between AD 610 and 632. It is a book that brings glad tidings to humankind, along with divine admonition, and stresses the importance of man’s discovery of the Truth on a spiritual and intellectual level. Translated from Arabic and commentary by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful The Merciful who taught the Quran—He created man and He taught him speech. The sun and the moon move according to a fixed reckoning; the stars and the trees bend in prostration. He raised the heavens and set up the measure, so that you should not transgress the measure. Always measure with justice and do not give short measure. (55: 1-9) God created human beings. He granted them the unique power of speech—a power not bestowed upon any other creature or anything else in the whole known universe. Then, there is the practical example of the role of justice and fair play which is inherent in the universe at God’s behest. The whole world surrounding the human being is based on these principles of balance and justice, which God wants human beings to follow; and this is clearly set forth in the Quran. The Quran is the verbal expression of this Divine justice and the universe is its practical expression. It is imperative that the subjects of God weigh their words and deeds in this balance. They should not be unjust in either giving or taking. He has laid out the earth for His creatures. On it are fruits and palmtrees with sheathed clusters [of dates], and grains with their husk and fragrant plants. Which of your Lord’s wonders would you deny? He has created man, from dry ringing clay, like the potter’s, and He created the jinns from a flame of fire. Which of your Lord’s wonders would you deny? He is the Lord of the two easts and the Lord of the two wests. Which of your Lord’s wonders would you deny? He has set the two oceans in motion, converging together. Between them is a barrier, which they do not overrun. Which of your Lord’s wonders would you